Purim is fast approaching, and it always makes me feel like spring is right around the corner.
One of the things I love most about what I do is getting to help keep traditions alive—while continuing to learn more about them myself. Our staff has really embraced Purim this year, from dressing up and leaning into the fun, to gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the holiday. Watching that enthusiasm grow year after year is one of the quiet joys of this work.
This season, it’s been especially fun to watch Kate and Rachel on our pastry team experiment with hamantaschen flavors. After plenty of testing and tasting, the flavor everyone keeps coming back to—the one we’re all most excited about—is Blueberry Lemon Lavender. Every holiday brings new ideas like this, and I’m always tucking them away for future inspiration. The Jewish calendar is such a beautiful way to mark the changes in the year and to always have something meaningful to look forward to.
Growing up, Purim meant dreaming up costumes, making hamantaschen as a family, and enjoying all the small traditions that made the holiday feel special. Now, as a mom, I’ve started hosting a big hamantaschen-making party at my house. It’s become something families genuinely look forward to, and that makes me incredibly happy.
And then there’s Purim through my career. I’ve been lucky to cater so many meaningful meals celebrating this holiday. During my time consulting with Sarah Chudnow Catering, I worked on countless Purim dinners and led many hamantaschen demonstrations. This year, I’m especially excited to be doing another hamantaschen demo at the Jewish Home and Care Center.
Over the years, Purim has taken me to so many synagogues and Jewish nonprofits. I’ve catered a Purim dinner with Friendship Circle featuring an island-inspired menu, a pre-Megillah reading dinner at CBINT, Purim seudah meals at Congregation Beth Jehudah and ASKT, and so many more.
One of the most memorable Purim weeks for me was in 2020. That year, I catered the Purim seudah at Chabad Mequon, a bat mitzvah celebration at Bader Hillel, and the ASKT Purim meal—all in the same week, just after returning from Israel. I spent hours on the plane organizing menus and logistics, then hit the ground running when I landed. It was a whirlwind week, right before everything shifted into quarantine. Crazy, exhausting, and meaningful all at once—but a good week, at least.
As Purim approaches this year, I’m feeling grateful, reflective, and excited. I love how this holiday connects fun, community, food, and tradition—and how it signals the coming of spring.
I’d love to hear: what are the Purim traditions you hold close in your family or community?
